“The Śrīcakra is held together by the unifying force of the Bindu from which all the elements emerge and disperse into its farthest reaches. If the Śrīcakra is the whole of creation, each of its elements is a fractal, holding within itself the potential for totality. Each element is a fractal of reality and a portal to wholeness.”
The Śrīcakra is a yantra, a diagramatic representation of the cosmic unfolding. Usually, commentaries on the Śrīcakra focus either on its ritual worship that leads to its understanding and internalization, or on its mystical aspects and the benefits of its sādhanā in terms of wealth, powers, or fulfillment of life goals. In both, there tends to be a paucity of expansion on its profound psycho-physio-socio-cultural correlations with the issues we struggle with, which tend to be removed from ritual and mysticism. In this approach, life and sādhanā remain distinct and separate, where the insights of study or practice remain inaccessible in the moment-to-moment unfolding of life.
In this book, Kavitha Chinnaiyan offers us a teaching of the Śrīcakra that is highly practical and applicable in the trenches of life, where it matters most.
Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan (Saundaryāmbikā) is a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine. She is a Śrīvidyā initiate and the author of Shakti Rising (Nonduality Press, 2017), which won the Nautilus Gold Award for Best Books of 2017, Glorious Alchemy: Living the Lalitā Sahasranāma (New Sarum Press, UK, 2020) and The Heart of Wellness (Sfaim Press, 2021). She is the founder of Svatantra Institute.
She has studied Tantra, Advaita Vedanta, Yoga and Āyurveda with teachers across the globe. Her workshops, courses and writings strive to bring these time-honored traditions to modern living in practical ways.
Reader Reviews
This book is nothing short of astonishing. It is so clear in it's presentation, and reads like poetry. The author is clearly a both very skilled and extremely ardent practitioner of Sri Vidya, and her passion and love for the subject is contagious.
I've had a many years long love affair with the Sri Cakra and have read several books on the subject over the years. Even though there are some great works out there, this is my new favorite of all time. It's joyful, it's captivating, it's clear, it's inspiring, and truly, it's incredibly unique. The artwork is exquisitely beautiful, too - it helps the concepts come alive!
Highly, highly recommend to any students or adepts of tantra, regardless of the style. You'll fall in love with the Srī Cakra through this book!
- Jenna, USA
For me,this is more than a book.It transforms you as you read it .Growing up in India , I have seen the Sri Chakra everywhere.I’ve read many books on it where the geometry was explained along with a brief religious commentary about the various goddesses.Dr.Chinnayan’s Fractals of Reality course and now this book,is the first time I am getting a semblance of understanding of this great mystical symbol.Personally, while reading this book ,I went through changes that cannot be put in words.Every page and every word went right in . Every Devi was a living experience .I am amazed at how the ancients uncovered this and now I am equally amazed at Dr.Chinnayan’s immense grace and kindness to share this wisdom with us.Its a great gift from Devi.
- Suman, USA
I'm always awestruck by any work by Kavitha Chinnaiyan but this one is quickly becoming nothing less than a "Bible" to me. No words can express my blessing of having access to this brilliant distillation of extremely advanced and esoteric wisdom into practical actions and ways of being. I'm now religiously focusing my Sadhana on meeting one new goddess each day and keeping her on the back of my shoulders at all times. I study and reflect on the nuances of their teachings, in relation to each other and to other concepts. I find the Sricakra is the perfect platform for a coherent integration of all valuable spirituel knowledge, including our Sangha sessions study of the B.G. I still hardly believe that this level of finesse in understanding life exist. Nondual tantra is a drastic life changing encounter. It changes everything. The minute I lose sight of where I want to be driven to, or lose faith in the driver, I'm back at the wheel, driving by myself as if I knew what I was doing, and ending up consistently in the same cul-de-sac. When I truly surrender to what's on the map, the clouds dissipate, and I come to the humbling yet empowering revelation that revelling in the warmth of the sunshine is all there is to do, ever was and will ever be, and that Love transcends every perception, interpretation, emotion or action. Thanks, thanks and thanks again!
- Patrick, USA
As any adept will know, Sri vidya path is esoteric and good books on the topic are hard to get. Even if you get any book, either the language will be a barrier or the narrative will be unapproachable (by design).
I want to congratulate Kavitha for putting together such a magnificient work. Fractals of Reality makes Sri Vidya approachable. It is very evident that Kavitha has taken the pains to go through many revered (but difficult to comprehend) works on Sri Vidya and distilled them into Fractals and done a huge favour to people like us, who are initiated but can't relate to the rituals and practice. Highly recommended!
- Akash, India
I absolutely love this book. I just finished it and am going straight back to the start. Dr. Chinnaiyan takes a complex and esoteric concept (the Sricakra) and systematically introduces it in a way that makes its wisdom accessible to all. It is clear that she is a devotee and while the book has clear academic rigour, her love and personal experience contemplating and practicing with the Sricakra bring the book to life.
I love the contemplations and how the book connects the dots between the esoteric teaching and its application to our lives. The book has plenty of charts and figures to depict the various concepts as well as a glossary of any Sanskrit words used. In addition, the artwork is stunning.
I came to the book with knowledge of the Sricakra, but there are so many layers of meaning and I think that given the resources I mentioned above, those who are simply new and curious about the meaning of this symbol will also thoroughly enjoy this book.
- Joanne, Canada